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We get nap questions really frequently from our clients – particularly these three questions:
- How many naps does my baby need?
- How long should my baby’s naps be?
- How much sleep should my baby get during the day so they sleep at night?
Well, we’re answering all of them in today’s article. How many naps your baby takes will depend on their age and unique development. All babies develop at their own unique rates.
How long your baby’s naps are also depend on age but once your baby is past 4 months old, we want at least one nap that’s an hour or longer. Once past 6 months old, we want at least two naps that are an hour or longer. And, once your baby transitions to one nap, we want a nice, long 2 to 3-hour nap.
We hope you’ll use this chart as an ongoing reference tool since it covers nap totals and lengths from the newborn stage all the way through age 3. Print off a copy for yourself and use it as an easy reference tool – and consider printing off a few for your friends or family members who have struggling nappers at home!
Baby Nap Chart: Naps By Age
| Age | # of Naps | Total Amount of Daytime Sleep | Length of Each Nap | Awake Time Between Naps | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 – 11 Weeks | 6-8 Naps | 4-5 hours | 10 or 15 minutes – 4 hours | 30 mins – 1 hour | Naps are all over the map at this age, so don’t fret about short and erratic naps in this newborn stage. Instead, focus on daily feeding and sleep routines and use those to shape your day. |
| 3-4 Months | 4-5 Naps | 3-4 hours | 30 minutes-2 hours | about 1-2 hours | Watch for the 4 month sleep regression right around this time; it will throw off even the best napper! |
| 5-6 Months | 3-4 Naps | 2.5-3.5 hours | 30/45 minutes-2 hours | about 2 hours | Short naps are normal in the first 5-6 months of your baby’s life, but starting around 6 months, your baby’s nap sleep should start to consolidate into more predictable, regular naps. |
| 7-8 Months | 2-3 Naps | 2-3 hours | 1-2 hours | 2-3 hours | Another sleep regression strikes at around 8 or 9 months, and a nap transition sometimes happens around this same time – from 3 naps to 2. |
| 9-12 Months | 2 Naps | 2-3 hours | 1-2 hours | about 3-4 hours | By this point, your baby should be napping pretty predictably. See our sample nap and feeding schedules for help building a more consistent nap schedule, if you’re still struggling with erratic naps. |
| 13-17 Months | 1-2 Naps | 2-3 hours | 1-3 hours | 3-5hours | Resist the impulse to transition to 1 nap when your baby turns 12 months old. Most babies don’t make the transition to 1 nap until closer to 15-18 months, so hang on to that second nap as best you can for this stage. |
| 18 Months-3 Years | 1 Nap | 1-3 hours | 1.5-2.5 hours | 5-6 hours | Watch your toddler’s awake time between the end of the afternoon nap and bedtime – as your toddler grows, he’ll need longer and longer afternoon wake time, which means you’ll need to time the nap carefully to be sure it doesn’t push bedtime too late. Additionally, some children will drop the afternoon nap entirely before age 3. |
How Did We Make This Nap Chart?
The above chart is derived from over 10 years of experience as a sleep consultant, with thousands of families, in conjunction with the following two books:
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth M.D.
While you can obviously read multiple 200+ page books, we strive to bring you practical information at your fingertips that you can put to use right away.
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If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
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For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3 Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night.
If you’re looking for ways to get your baby or toddler into a healthy sleeping routine during the day, I encourage you to explore Mastering Naps and Schedules, a comprehensive guide to napping routines, nap transitions, and all the other important “how-tos” of good baby sleep. With over 45 sample sleep schedules and planning worksheets, Mastering Naps and Schedules is a hands-on tool ideal for any parenting style.
For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.
Or, join our VIP Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a VIP member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part - members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!
Bernadette says
Hi!
Is there anything I can do when daycare drops to one nap at 13 months? I would like my daughter to still do two naps but it won’t be the case during the week when she is at daycare. All kids in her class have nap time from 12-2:30. Any tips?
Thank you,
Bernadette
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Bernadette, thank you for visiting the Baby Sleep Site. I can understand your concern about your daughter dropping her second nap earlier than she should, that is tough. We understand lots of daycares do this because of the mixed ages in the classroom, and so we have an article to help you manage this: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/daycare-nap-schedules-2-tips/
While you can’t really do much to change the daycare’s minds, you may be able to change some things at home to help off set the one nap. If you need any help with this, please let us know and we are here! Contact us anytime at [email protected]
I hope this helps!
Kerry says
Hi my 14 month daughter has suddenly started to refuse to go down for her naps. It started off with just the afternoon nap and I thought maybe she was only needing 1 nap a day but she has started to do this in the morning too. She is definitely tired but starts to cry the minute I place her down in the cot. I always give her a wee cuddle first then place her in the cot. She has always been a great baby for napping and has always gone down with no fuss. I haven’t changed what I do but the only thing is I went back to work 3 weeks ago and wondered if this might be the reason. My mum takes care of her when I’m at work and she appears to go down for both her naps at my mum’s house! Please can you help?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Kerry, thanks for writing to us. I’m sorry you’ve been struggling with naps with your daughter recently. It is common for babies to have a little adjustment period when they go through a big change such as you going back to work (I JUST went through this with my son when he was 15 months! It was tough, I understand your pain 100% but hang in there). We have a free guide available for naps if you need some tips that you can download here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
Since she is still napping well for your mom hopefully as she adjusts things will smooth out! Hang in there!
Christy says
Hi there,
My 15mo has never been a great day sleeper – frequently catnaps. He is refusing his second nap some days but can only manage to stay up for around 2 hours before his first nap.
How can I extend his awake time to progress to one nap without him getting overtired and catnapping?
Thanks!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Christy, thank you for writing to us. I am sorry you’ve been struggling with catnaps from your son. We would love to help! We actually have a free guide all about naps that may help give you more information for next steps to take: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
And if you need more information than what our free guide provides, we also have an ebook that goes into more detail and includes a ton of sample schedules for you to use as a resource. To learn more you can read about our ebook, Mastering Naps & Schedules, here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/mastering-naps/
I hope this helps! Thanks for using the Baby Sleep Site as a resource for nap help!
Tasha says
Hi,
My 5 month old has 2.5 – 3 hours naps during the day (1 or 2 nap max). Is that too long a nap? and is it okay if he only gets one long nap during the day and does not sleep till night time?
Neosha says
@Tasha – Thank you for reading and for your question. We generally expect to see babies this age nap 2-3.5 hours per day – usually 3 naps but it doesn’t have to be. If he’s sleeping well overall and generally happy and seemingly well-rested you’re likely good to go! 🙂 If you’re interested in learning more about naps and scheduling, check out our e-Book Mastering Naps and Schedules here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/mastering-naps/ Hope this helps, and please keep reading!
Kristi says
Hi – I have a 10 week old baby who takes mostly short naps during the day. He seems to have 3 or 4 30-minute naps and maybe one long nap (2-3 hours) each day. Is this normal? I’ve been trying to get the short naps to be longer, but am not having any success! I’m wondering if the short naps are normal at this age?
Neosha says
@Kristi – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for your question. Yes, short naps are still quite common at your son’s age and will be likely for another couple of months, so no worries there at all! I hope this helps, Kristi. Please keep reading!
Jessica O. says
My problem wasn’t my 14 month old baby. Mine was his overprotective father. For about one week he has been giving me a hard time about him sleeping too much. My son will sleep about 10 hours a night and take two naps a day that range anywhere from 1-2 hours per nap. I told my soon to be exhusband, he’s not an adult so 8 hours is not going to cut it! He told me to Google it and let him know if I am correct. So I thank you Baby Sleep Site for this important information. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I show him this.!
Neosha says
@Jessica – Aw, you’re most certainly welcome. Thank you so much for reading and sharing! Please stop back in to see us again soon!
Georgiana says
Baby just gone 10 months, cheerful easy going BUT can’t seem to shake early morning waking (sometimes 4:50am, mostly between 5-5:30). Firs nap around 8:15-8:30am for 30-45mins, then lunch time nap between 12-12:30 until 2-2:30, usually sleeps whole 2 hours although recently sometimes not. In bed by 6:30pm. Recently started sleeping through (6:30pm till about 4:50am-5am). Good self settler (with a dummy), stopped nursing to soothe/sleep a few weeks ago. Read plenty of sleep/feeding guides but can’t shake this early morning!!! I leave him and he chats and makes noises but only starts crying after about 45 mins (when I’m sure he’s fed up). Does he need more/less daytime sleep??? Any suggestions? I can handle a 5:30 but earlier is killing me! Help! 🙂
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Georgiana, thanks for your comment! I am sorry to hear your son is waking up so early! That is rough. Here is an article we have with a few tips that may help you identify what is causing the issue: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/baby-waking-too-early/
If you find you need more help, we have lots of more in-depth options that could help. If you want more information on that, please contact us directly here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/contact
I hope that helps! Hang in there!
Bahareh says
My 3m old baby has only 2 naps during day and 1-2 h of sleep. Night sleep about 12 hrs
Janelle Reid says
@Bahareh, Thank you for writing to us. I am glad to hear your baby is sleeping great for you at night, but am sorry to see your baby is struggling during the day. Here is a link to a sample schedule for a 3 month old to give you some tips on where to go next: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/3-month-old-baby-sleep-and-feeding-schedule/
If you need any additional help with this issue, I think you would benefit from working with one of our sleep consultants in one of our consultation packages. You can contact us directly here to help you select the package that would be the best fit for your situation: https://www.babysleepsite.com/contact
Hang in there and thank you for your comment.
Kristen says
My 8 week old will sleep for 3 hours at a time during the day. She’s doing a 5 hour stretch at night and then. 4 hour or maybe just 3. Should I wake her during the day?
Neosha says
@Kristen – Thank you for stopping by our sleepy little village and for sharing with us! Congratulations on your new little girl! 🙂 We generally don’t suggest waking a sleeping baby except in a few cases – see them here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/should-you-wake-a-sleeping-baby/ If she’s awake long enough during the day for some awake time and to get in all of her feedings, this is likely good enough, but you’ll want to verify that with her healthcare provider since they’ll want to make sure she’s growing properly and getting all of her nutrition during the day. Overall, it sounds like she’s sleeping pretty good for you, which is great! Thank you again for commenting and please keep reading, Kristen!
Cheryl says
My almost 18 month old sleeps 8pm-730 am, but will only nap about 45 minutes during the day. Any suggestions to help her become a better napper?
Janelle Reid says
@Cheryl, Thanks for leaving a comment! I am glad your daughter sleeps well for you at night but I am sorry you are struggling with a naps. The short naps could stem from a variety of things, which are outlined in this article here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-naps-2/short-baby-naps-explained/
If you find this problem persists and you cannot lengthen the naps out, you may find our ebook Mastering Naps & Schedules has helpful information for you. Here is a link for more information: https://www.babysleepsite.com/mastering-naps/?utm_source=footer&utm_medium=naps
I hope her naps lengthen out for you soon!